The Discerning Eye
As the final person in charge of the project "The Discerning Eye," Cheon Jonghun felt a sensation as if the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. It was because of the words coming from the person on the other end of the line, who claimed to be the manager of the late trot singer Seonghun.
"Well, there may have been trainees who didn't participate in practice that day due to illness or personal circumstances. However, I can't imagine that Team Leader Cheon, a perfectionist, would select a trainee who shows signs of struggling with their condition even during practice."
"…"
"The team color was easy to infer, since I've taken a great interest in the albums you've participated in. I'm actually a fan of yours, Team Leader Cheon."
Guessing the color of the girl group he was aiming for was something he could accept, if only barely. It was possible that his own ideals had seeped into the overall work without him realizing it. But the fact that this person had identified the exact same four members out of countless trainees was something he could not accept at all. After all, he had only finalized those four members yesterday.
Naturally, Cheon Jonghun suspected foul play. The thought crossed his mind that this was some malicious prank meant to mess with him. But that didn't mean he could deny reality.
'Finalizing the four members was something that only happened inside my head. I never announced it anywhere. There's no possibility of a leak.'
'So this guy who claims to have been Seonghun's manager must have reached the same conclusion as me—who dissected every aspect of the trainees after only seeing them briefly during a YouTube shoot—just from that short glimpse.'
Cheon Jonghun shuddered at that absurd level of discernment.
"…It won't be a waste of time, then."
Those words were a pure compliment that had slipped past his arrogant pride. He felt ashamed that he was feeling awe toward the achievements of some unknown rookie in the industry. Especially since he himself possessed the clear pride of being one of the top talents in the field. Because of that, he spoke in an even more aggressive and sharp tone.
"Just in case you didn't know, I'll give you one warning. This number is extremely private. Naturally, I've only given it to people who would never spread it around."
Like a beast baring its fangs, Cheon Jonghun opened his mouth.
"Until now, that certainty has never wavered. But if something like this happens again, I'll assume you were the one who spread it."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Good. Six days from now, I can spare about ten minutes at five in the morning. Let's meet then at SS's C-3 practice room. If you mention my name, you'll be able to get in."
"Thank you very much for making time for me."
"…I hope the price for consuming my time is worth it. If I'm disappointed, I might just look for compensation elsewhere."
"Shall I send you the trainees' profiles?"
To Cheon Jonghun, that single line felt like a provocation. As if it meant, 'You need this kind of guideline to recognize value, don't you?'
"No need. I only evaluate the ones I've seen with my own eyes."
Cheon Jonghun hung up before hearing the other person's reply. It was a cheap way to protect his pride. His pride had clearly been cracked enough that he had to resort to such a petty action.
"Fine. Let's see it then. The trainees you claim to introduce with that well-regarded eye of yours."
…No, he should have at least listened to the compensation before hanging up. When Cheon Jonghun abruptly ended the call, I was flustered. I hadn't even gotten to say what I wanted in exchange for introducing Gyeowool yet. This guy didn't seriously think that just letting a trainee into SS was enough of a favor, did he? If he thought that, it would be very troublesome. The whole thing would instantly turn into unpaid labor. There had to be something in it for me too, or what was the point of all this trouble?
Even if it made me look a bit ugly, should I call him back and get a clear answer about the compensation? While I was seriously considering it, Gyeowool asked.
"…How did it go?"
"Team Leader Cheon Jonghun said to meet at SS's C-3 practice room six days from now? If you don't show up looking too spaced out, he'll probably accept you. SS doesn't even do public recruitment often, so congratulations. Hey."
SS was the kind of company that, after three rounds of global auditions, would bring in trainees from all over the world only once every few years. As a massive conglomerate that left its mark on the entertainment industry with every move, offering an opportunity like this was extremely rare. And this rare opportunity had a much higher chance of success than the regular route, which required passing document screening, three genre-specific dance performances, three genre-specific song performances, camera tests, personality tests, and a short-term training course.
Gyeowool had obtained an incredibly good opportunity. She seemed to understand its value too, because after hearing my words, she buried her head in my chest, hugged me, and started jumping around. She looked like a baby goat that couldn't contain its own joy. It was strange. Seeing Gyeowool like that made me feel positive, like everything would somehow work out. Even when life seemed to be rolling along aimlessly like hers, didn't a way out always appear eventually?
Cheon Jonghun might have strong pride, but he wasn't the type to wipe his mouth clean after receiving help. I could be certain of that, since we had been close enough in the previous timeline to share private phone numbers. He would probably just grant a small favor like introducing someone to a job. So it should be fine to mention it after showing a good performance that day.
"Hwaaaang! Thank you!"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it, so calm down now."
After peeling the clinging Gyeowool off me, I handed her the tissues I had brought just in case. She immediately wiped her tears as if she'd been waiting for them.
"Calmed down?"
"…Yes."
"Good. You've been through a lot. Go home and get some rest. When you come back up to Seoul in five days, I'll guide you."
Gyeowool nodded so vigorously that it sounded like the wind was blowing. Then she hesitated, as if she still had something to say.
"…Um."
"Huh? Why, want me to give you a ride to the station?"
"No, that's not it, …I mean"
Gyeowool's eyes were spinning, and her cheeks were flushed bright red. Her hands trembled as if she were extremely nervous, and her mouth opened and closed like a fish. What on earth was she trying to say that required so much buildup?
"What is it, did something else go wrong? You've already shown plenty of embarrassing sides, so just say it. I might be able to help."
Until I made the deal with Cheon Jonghun using Gyeowool as leverage, her problems weren't just her own. In the worst case, if she suddenly claimed to be sick and skipped the meeting with Cheon Jonghun, I'd be completely screwed. So as long as it wasn't too much trouble, I was willing to take care of her for the next six days.
"Th… Then please let me stay for just six days!"
"Just go home already!"
I had expected her to ask to borrow maybe another fifty thousand won at most, so this felt like a surprise slap to the face. She kept forgetting, but we had only met yesterday. We were practically strangers.
"Why are you asking me to let you stay when you could just go to a place that serves hot meals?"
"…I don't want to see Yeji until the audition is over."
In the province where Gyeowool lived, there was only one training center, so if she wanted to practice, she would inevitably run into Yeji. Even if she didn't go to the training center, since they had shared daily life in a small town, they would end up meeting somehow. And Gyeowool said that if she saw Yeji and talked to her, her resolve might break. After all, this whole journey had started because she wanted to be with Yeji, so she might even end up giving up on the audition. She said this while self-deprecatingly calling herself a weak person. It was a truly pathetic way of thinking. But it wasn't incomprehensible either.
"I know you feel repulsed by my sister. I also know that my actions are nothing but a nuisance. But if you allow it, I hope you'll at least give her the chance to kneel and beg for forgiveness."
Gyeowool lowered her head.
"If I let go of you now, I feel like I'll go back to the old me. …The powerless, overly cautious, useless version of me."
It seemed Gyeowool, who had lived a passive life, needed a catalyst. A catalyst to take one step forward. And right now, that catalyst appeared to be me. While I was staring off into the distance, wondering what to do about this, Gyeowool suddenly grabbed onto my pant leg and started clinging to it.
"You said you'd become someone who helps me! Like you said, I don't have anyone to help me! I'm alone! I have no connections! I'm a loser, a pathetic mess, a weirdo, a loner, a worm!"
She'd already used that repertoire before.
"I've already helped you plenty!"
"You said it was okay to ask for help!"
"I also said that if it burdens the other person, they can refuse and that's the end of it! I'm feeling very burdened right now. So I'm going to refuse. Let go of my hand, Han Gyeowool!"
"You've already helped me this much, so just a little more! I won't forget this favor!"
"The way to repay the favor is to let go now and go our separate ways, Han Gyeowool!"
While I was struggling to shake Gyeowool off, I realized that people around us were murmuring and staring at our ridiculous scene. A minor in a school uniform was crying and kneeling in front of an older man in front of a motel. It was the kind of situation that could easily attract a flood of reports.
"Wait, fine, I get it, so let go of that for now and get up. Let's do this somewhere else!"
"If I let go, you'll run away! You'll change your number and ghost me!"
"I won't change my number! I won't ghost you! Just let go for a second!"
The convenience store part-timer started making a call with a disgusted expression. She was probably reporting us for something like illegal prostitution. Gyeowool, as if she didn't care how twisted the situation had become, clung to my pant leg like a koala. Overwhelmed by the hostile gazes pouring in from all around, to the point where rational judgment was difficult, I gave in.
"I'll try asking my sister! If we both beg, maybe it'll work!"
At those words, Gyeowool released her koala grip and said, glancing around nervously.
"…Thank you. I absolutely won't forget this favor."
I don't know anymore. At this point…